People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 March 1894 — CUBA IS SPAIN’S IRELAND. [ARTICLE]

CUBA IS SPAIN’S IRELAND.

A Political Situation Which Closely Rivals the One in England. Cuba stands related to Spain and Spanish politics very much as Ireland does to England and English politics. Cuban affairs take up a disproportionate amount of time in the Cortes; the Cuban deputies rival the Irish members of parliament in a fatal fluency of speech and readiness to denounce the government on the slightest provocation; and a standing cause of perplexity and dismay to Spanish cabinets has been the problem of governing Cuba in a way to maintain Spanish supremacy and satisfy native sentiment at the same time. The minister for the colonies recently brought in a bill for the reorganization of the Cuban government which provides for a considerable degree of home rule and distinctly takes away from the despotic power of the captain general. Upon it public opinion in the island and in Spain has been divided, some maintaining chat it was a legitimate concession to the desire for self-gov-ernment, others contending that it was a first and dangerous step towards complete independence. Minister Maura has planted himself on the very modern ground for a Spaniard that it is impossible to govern a free people without havmg some way of consulting their wishes, and that the majority in Cuba should be allowed to decide on affairs of local government. On the whole the preponderance of opinion in Cuba seems to favor the plan, and aa the minister has Sagasta’s full assent and backing it seems probable that the bill will be given a trial. It will ba nearly as interesting and instructive to watch its operations in Cuba as it will be to observe the working of the new Irish parliament in Dublin. — N. Y. Post.